In brief
In October 2026, federal prosecutors announced that Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national and former OpenAI engineer, was charged with embedding a covert audio recorder in the company's San Francisco executive conference room. The device, wrapped in toilet paper and hidden in a USB port, was discovered by OpenAI employees and traced back to Alfozan using AI techniques. Alfozan allegedly used the company's own chatbot to research how to conceal and operate the recorder, aiming to gather sensitive information about OpenAI’s technology. He has been fired, appears in court, and faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. OpenAI said no source code or customer data were accessed.
On 13 October 2026, federal prosecutors announced that Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national who had worked as an engineer at OpenAI, was charged with secretly planting a recording device in the company’s San Francisco office. The device was wedged in a USB port on the back of a television inside an executive conference room and wrapped in toilet paper, according to court documents.
OpenAI said it detected the “sophisticated recording device” and notified the FBI. The company claimed it used its own AI models to analyze the device and trace its origin, ultimately linking it to Alfozan, who had joined the firm in July 2025. No source code, model weights or customer data were reported as compromised.
According to the complaint, Alfozan used the company’s chatbot and a productivity tool to research how to install and operate a covert recorder. FBI Director Kash Patel said the suspect’s aim was to capture sensitive information about OpenAI’s products.
On 5 October, prosecutors said Alfozan returned to the office to inspect the device, with CCTV footage linking him to the scene. The same day, a bag left unattended in a different part of the building contained Alfozan’s wallet, ID and a second recording device similar to the one found earlier.
Alfozan appeared in court on Tuesday. He faces up to five years behind bars and a $250,000 fine if found guilty. OpenAI has terminated his employment amid the investigation.
